Of Ponies and Caviar. Black Caviar wins 16 straight

The last day of the 2011 Melbourne Cup Carnival was, unlike the other 3 days, run in hot conditions.  Flmeington had tended to be cold, windy and wet for the preceding days, but I've said before that a particular horse tends to bring the good weather with her, and Emirates Stakes Day, on 5 November, was no exception.

Black Caviar, or Nelly, or my Famous Pony, was lining up for her 3rd run of her Spring campaign, and going for 16 straight wins.  She'd equalled Phar Lap's 14 wins in the Schillaci, and Bernborough and Carbine's 15 in the Moir, and was aiming to win the G1 Patinack VRC Stakes for the 2nd year in a row.  I saw my Pony the day before the race, when I visited her and watched her swim.  She recognises me now, and searches pockets for carrots.  And for all Moody's 'we don't spoil her' talk, I am lead to believe that she's now getting treats like carrots far more regularly.  And for a girl like me, that is good to hear.

She won, of course, and the scenes of adulation afterwards were as impressive as ever.  She continues to be a quandry to photograph, because it is so hard to catch her in full flight, because she's just so much better than the others.  Perhaps for this reason alone I can't wait to see her in the Orr and the Futurity, because like Moody I think she'll handle the distance on her ear, but fingers crossed it will see her stretch out a little more, and give the crowds even more to cheer about, and only serve to add to her legend.  The media pressures are growing, and the clamouring for spots when she's about intensifies with every run.  

I was actually relieved that she is not making the trip to Perth.  In part because (ok, perhaps selfishly) I knew that following her over was basically completely beyond me financially.  But also she has a big compaign planned for the autumn, and the hit and run mission to the West had bothered me a little bit, particularly after a G1 race on such a hot day.  Her fame is such that Moody has to keep her on the move now whenever she races and she spends a lot of time out in the walking ring to stop the milling crowds getting to the Pony.  And Flemington is ruthless in the heat, with those red brick pavers acting like ovens, so the news that she wasn't travelling West was music to my ears.  See you in January, my darling Pony....















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